Devastated and shocked: Australian athlete Simon Dunn, an inspiration, passed away at age 35 following a “tough year.”
The first openly gay bobsledder in Australia passed away unexpectedly at the age of 35 “after a rough year of personal loss.”
With his athletic achievements, Simon Dunn, who also played rugby for the all-gay Sydney Convicts, inspired the LGBT community.
Tragically, his agent and the police confirmed that he was discovered dead in Surry Hills, Sydney, on Saturday.
In order to advance his bobsleigh career, Dunn relocated to Canada, where he made history as the first gay man to represent a nation in the sport.
He eventually retired, but in 2021 he returned to try to earn a spot in the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Regretfully, a bicep injury prevented him from competing.
It had been a “rough year,” he wrote in a recent Instagram post about splitting up with his five-year partner.
As we recently celebrated our fifth anniversary, it became clear that our objectives and paths had shifted, according to Dunn.
Working for my community and advocacy organisations, as well as looking into other ways I can help, will always be my passion.
“It became evident after a difficult year of personal loss that our time together was coming to an end and that our preferences for partners and life had changed.
“I give him credit because we have chosen to live our best lives, and true love knows when to let someone go.”
He had previously discussed his struggle following his injury, which prevented him from competing in the Winter Olympics.
Trust me, it took a long time and hurt to recover. Unable to work, insurance companies looking for any excuse not to assist,” Dunn wrote on social media, including a photo of himself in the hospital.
“I went into a few really dim places. I can’t even begin to count how many times I’ve called myself a “failure” or questioned my entire professional background.
“I would find it difficult to get out of bed—what was the point? I still didn’t seek medical assistance, though.
“Even though I knew deep down that asking for help was exactly what I needed, I may have done so out of ignorance or the belief that it wasn’t “manly.”
“Forever thankful to those near me duringThis time, instead of asking for help when I should have, my support system carried the brunt of what I was going through.
As a supporter of the LGBT community, Dunn challenged Israel Folau about his divisive assertion that all homosexuals would burn in hell.
“Sports still face homophobia,” he said to Sky News at the time.
“I believe we’re still nearing the end of the work necessary to put an end to it; it’s a culture that has been developed and ingrained over decades.
“Rugby is a more tolerant sport, but football fans are the ones who voice the majority of the criticism.”
In addition, he received recognition for sharing a photo of himself with his significant other following the Sydney Convicts grand final victory.
“My partner Felix was still playing, and we had won the league.” As most athletes do with their partners when they win, I went over to kiss him after the game to celebrate,” he said at the time.
“A photo of that was taken by one of the teammates. I uploaded it, believing that since it’s a nice picture, I could use it to highlight the existence of gay athletes on my profile. After that, I began to retweet it in reaction to the Australian Rugby Union’s silence on Israel Folau.”
As word of Dunn’s passing spread, condolences began to pour in.
His representative,”Simon was passionate about giving back to the community and volunteering. He gave his time and used his profile to help multiple charities,” Ruby Rose Management stated. He had his favourites, like any great ambassadors: Pride in Sport, Give Out Day, and the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation.
“Simon has never refused to give his time to any organisation, from Woolworths to Lion, that wished to expand its diversity and inclusion efforts and better understand its LGBTQIA+ staff and clientele.
“I am not the spokesperson; I am just a gay white man telling you about my experiences and the experiences of those I listened to and learned from,” Simon would always say, standing in for all of us. By exchanging these tales, we can all better understand the path that brought us to our current position.
“I knew him as a young adorable teenager and watched him blossom into the beautiful man and talented outstanding sportsman,” said drag performer Kitty Glitter.
“I’m shocked and devastated. We were all very fond of him.”One of the most truly kind-hearted sweethearts the world has ever been blessed with has passed away in our community. My thoughts and prayers are with Simon’s family and friends. His spirit and loving energy will always be with us.
